PASADENA>> The 12-year-old girl who was among 19 protesters arrested during the Rose Parade said Thursday her arrest will not deter her from continuing to protest against animals held in captivity.

Rose McCoy, who lives in New York, was arrested with 18 other adults at about 9 a.m. New Year’s Day for attempting to stop the SeaWorld float from sailing down the parade route.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals had held protests leading up to the Rose Parade and had planned to protest SeaWorld’s float on the parade day.

McCoy had jumped the parade barrier at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City last year also protesting SeaWorld’s float in that parade.

McCoy’s mother, Emily, was arrested on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was held on $100,000 bail and released Wednesday at about 4:30 p.m.

Emily said her daughter begged her to come to Pasadena to protest the parade.

“Kids are passionate about these things,” said Emily. “I think it’s really condescending for adults who say she’s being used. She was chomping at the bit to come out and do this.”

SeaWorld blasted PETA’s demonstration in a statement.

“The Rose Parade is wholesome entertainment for millions (of) people in America and around the world, and it is shameful that PETA attempted to disrupt the parade to advance its extremist agenda,” David Koontz SeaWorld’s communications director, said in a statement.

Rose described her apprehension by police as “very forceful.”

“They took me by the neck and pushed my head toward the ground,” she said.

Rose said she was inspired by the CNN documentary “Blackfish,” released last year which chronicles the history of killer whales living in captivity and the death of a SeaWorld trainer.

“The float shows orcas in their natural habitat, which is very much the opposite of how they live in SeaWorld,” said Rose. “They are confined in small tanks, in the wild they’ve got many, many miles to swim.”

The McCoys said they have a court date on Feb. 3.

Pasadena City Attorney Michele Beal Bagneris did not respond to calls for comment.